Light Artist Presentation: Hari & Deepti

Introduction

Hari & Deepti are a husband and wife artist duo originally based in Denver, but currently living in Mumbai, India. The two began their experiments with light art in 2010, and combine layers of cut paper with light to bring a scene or story to life. Before settling in Dubai in the fall of 2014, the couple spent time traveling throughout Europe and Asia. These travels provided the artists with inspiration for their work, as well as opportunities to host showcases and workshops.

Nautilus

This piece was inspired by Jules Verne’s novel, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. It was made to resemble the view looking out of a submarine’s porthole.

The Princess and the Goblin

Hari & Deepti were approached by Puffin Classics, a publishing company, to create a piece to be featured as the cover of the book, The Princess and the Goblin. The piece highlights the presence of two separate worlds to capture the plot of the story. It was digitally enhanced for the book cover, as seen below.

Pool of Radiance

This piece was created during a visit to Norway, and was inspired by scenes of nature. The photo shows the stark contrast between the lit and unlit pieces, specifically in the way that backlighting creates shadows and dimension.

Window Installation – New York

Hari & Deepti were approached by the AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts) headquarters in New York City to create this piece for a skateboard show.

Tools & Techniques

To create these pieces, Hari & Deepti cut out the scenes layer by layer using an Exacto knife. The layers are then placed on top of each other and attached to create a 3D effect, which is enhanced through the use of LED strips to create the backlighting.

Concepts & Ideas

“What amazes us about the paper cut light boxes is the dichotomy of the piece in its lit and unlit state, the contrast is so stark that is has this mystical effect on the viewers.”

Hari & Deepti appreciate the simplicity of paper as a tool, and how combining backlighting with such a simple material takes a piece from a seemingly monotonous picture to a scene with depth, darkness, and light. They pull their inspiration largely from scenes of nature, and how humans play a roll in these scenes. They are ultimately story tellers that invite you to look more closely at the layers of detail with which they create their pieces.

 

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